Alabama officially flipped stout defensive back Ivan Taylor Monday night, per Hayes Fawcett of On3.com. Taylor also heads to Tuscaloosa with NFL bloodlines. His father Ike Taylor played 12 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, winning two Super Bowls with the franchise.
The Crimson Tide had been trending as a potential new destination for Taylor in the past few days. On3.com recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong predicted Alabama would flip Taylor from Michigan back on Tuesday. Taylor can become an official Alabama student-athlete by signing his letter of intent between Dec. 4-6 during the early signing period.
Taylor pivoting from the Wolverines to the Tide adds to the latest recruiting wins for Alabama. Head coach Kalen DeBoer and staff lured fellow four-star prospect Marshall Pritchett to ‘Bama on Oct. 22 — which bolsters the tight end room.
Taylor now becomes the ninth four-star commit. He also makes up for Alabama’s loss of running back Anthony Rogers. The four-star decommitted Sunday and is now in the mix for Ohio State and Georgia.
Alabama’s 2025 class ranks No. 3 across the nation by 247Sports — trailing only Georgia and Ohio State.
Taylor’s verbal commitment continues Alabama’s strength in pilfering Florida talent. The safety stars for West Orange High School in Winter Garden. He’s also the state’s fifth-ranked prospect by 247Sports.
Andrew Ivins of 247Sports gave a glowing review of Taylor. He even compared Taylor to Tampa Bay Buccaneers star safety Antoine Winfield Jr. The director of scouting called him “a high-IQ safety prospect with elite NFL bloodlines.” Ivins additionally pointed out how Taylor plays in a two-deep safety system at the prep level. He also praised his “sound” tackling technique.
Ivins wasn’t through raving about Taylor, though. He told Bama 247Sports insider Brett Greenberg that Taylor is “one of my favorite prospects of this class” in looking at how impactful his commitment to Alabama is.
“He not only checks off box after box in terms of what you are looking for in this new age of safeties, but I love him on game tape as well,” Ivins said.
Ivins believes Taylor has a chance to contribute right away. Alabama is set to lose seniors Malachi Moore and Alijah May in the defensive backfield after the 2024 season. Taylor brings the versatility to play immediately, as he’s heading to ‘Bama as a CB commit.
He’s now the third CB commit for the 2025 class. Taylor joins five-star Dijon Lee of Mission Viejo, California and four-star Chuck McDonald of fellow California powerhouse Mater Dei High in Santa Ana as the future Tide corners.
